Ranji Trophy: Bowlers rule the roost in Andhra - MP tie

Andhra came back strongly in the final session, after being bowled out for 132, to leave Madhya Pradesh in a spot of bother at 24 for three at the end of the first day's play in their Ranji Trophy match.

A file photo of Madhya Pradesh's Ishwar Pandey sizzled with a four-wicket haul against Andhra.

Andhra came back strongly in the final session, after being bowled out for 132, to leave Madhya Pradesh in a spot of bother at 24 for three in the first innings on the first day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Group-B match at Holkar Stadium in Indore on Monday.

Earlier, the match got off to a delayed start with only seven overs of play possible in the morning session as Andhra went into the lunch break at 21 for no loss.

But, once opener and inform C.R. Gnaneshwar was dismissed in the third over after the break — nicking to wicketkeeper and Madhya Pradesh captain Naman Ojha off pacer Ishwar Pandey, it was more or less a regular parade of batsmen walking in and out.

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The bowling attack, even without the star pacer bowler and unwell Avesh Khan, was still good enough to rattle the brittle Andhra line-up as the seasoned campaigner Pandey picked up a four-wicket haul.

He got good support from pacer Gaurav Yadav and left-arm spinner Kartikeya Singh, who picked three wickets each.

And, when MP batted, it was rocked by early blows with pace duo of Vijay Kumar and Girinath Reddy striking once each and the left-arm spinner Manish Golamaru picking one wicket.